Thinking about buying a pair of snow shoes for a friend that has a lot of trails near her mountain home. Is it worth the expense? Do they really make walking in the snow that much easier. Also any models you would suggest?

Here is a good website on RMNP that has a snowshoeing forum. Snowshoeing is big in the Estes Park and Rocky Mountain NP area, so you may find some expert advice from the people who frequent the website:

www.rockymountainnationalpark.com/trailhead

We have snowshoes and we use them every time we go to our place in Vermont (two or three times a months in Jan, Feb, March). They definitely make walking on snow easier! They provide a great way to be enjoying snow-covered scenery, and I love the workout snowshoeing provides. Check out www.tubbssnowshoes.com. They have a wide variety of choices, along with information about which are best for different users/terrains/activities.

i only use mine in the summer. I get alot of strange looks though.

I don't know about specific brands, but I can give you a little general information.

Yes, it's probably worth the expense, if your friend is someone who likes the outdoors. Snow shoes are a great gift idea. They do make walking on snow easier. Walking on unpacked powder without snowshoes can result in "post-holing", the term for sinking a couple of feet with every step - it doesn't make for a good hike.

Where your friend lives, how much she weighs (delicate topic), and what kind of snow she'll be walking on will determine the size shoe she needs. It's nice to get a pair in which there are additional pieces that can be added on the back in case of really light powder, and/or heavy loads. That allows for a larger platform when needed, but avoiding extra bulk when it's not needed.

I've been told that Rocky Mountain snow is generally lighter than New England and midwest snow. If she lives in the Rockies, it may be best to go up a size on the shoe to get the same result as advertised.

Should I wear snowshoes on my trip to NYC this weekend? And if I do, what color should they be? I assume they should be black.

Hayseed:

Snowshoes are definitely part of the NYC scene this season but never with less than a two-inch heel.

When I wear my snowshoes in NYC, I also wear my luxurious fur, and did I mention that my snowshoes are studded with 20 cts. of diamonds? they are fabulous, as am I! If you can't afford the high end snowshoe like mine, I would suggest that you do not come to NYC as you would embarass yourself, me, and NYC in general.

My, we do have come comedians. I use snowshoes sometimes out of necesity on my small New Hampshire farm. However, for having fun in the snow, i still prefer x-c skiis. Getting the right size snowshoe is critical - too small and they don't help very much. The newer aluminum and plastic ones are much easier to use than the wood and rawhide, although they don't look as nice over the fireplace!

You gotta love a girl with diamond studded snowhoes. Fabulous!

Zootsie, I'm curious, what can one expect to pay for snowshoes? Judging from the amount of snow outside my window already, this looks like a good time to add a pair to my wardrobe!

Generally around $125 for a basic pair of recreational shoes, they can go up to several hundred for a top end pair. Atlas, Tubbs, and Redfeather are all respected brands. I see now that even Wal-Mart is selling an inexpensive (made in China) line of snowshoes - don't look too bad for the price.

Thanks zootsi, Maybe I'll start out with the Wal-mart brand, and see how it goes, I could have used them this morning when I sunk up to my knees in snow!